Irrigation Project Reinforces Stability

The constructed retaining wall controls the flow of water into the community irrigation system.

USAID/CBSG

Communities in transition collaborate with the local government to improve irrigation systems

14 SEPTEMBER 2011 | PANJSHIR, AFGHANISTAN

USAID facilitates partnership between community-based organizations and the Afghan government to identify sources of instability and address community grievances through small-scale community level projects.

Panjsher Province, located 150 km north of Kabul, is a province where agriculture represents the primary source income for many households. Panjsher is currently a province in transition. Neglecting the priority grievances of communities can create a gap in the relationships between the community and the local government, which leads to instability.

In an effort aimed at bringing the community closer to their local government and as part of USAID’s focus on communities in transition, USAID funded a retaining wall construction project in Badqul Village, located in the provincial center. Completed in November 2010, the community can now see the positive impact of the project.

The head of the local community development council said, “We are fully satisfied with the implementation of this project. In the past, when the water level went up, erosion occurred along the irrigation canal and there was not enough irrigation water. We don’t have this problem anymore and we have enough water to irrigate our agricultural fields.”

Almost 600 households have benefited from the project that was implemented by the community in close collaboration with the provincial line departments of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and Water Management.

The project is part of the continued efforts by USAID to expand the reach of the Afghan government and to bring the communities closer to the local government with the intent of ensuring and maintaining stability in the targeted areas. Supporting the population of this area is important for a sustainable transition of Panjshir Province.